Nihonsakari (sometimes simply nicknamed Sakari) started out life in 1889 in the Nada region of the Hyogo Prefecture as the Nishinomiya Kigyo Company, and over the past 135 years have proven itself to be one of the most adaptable Sake brewers in Japan, which has in turn led to much of their success. Not only has Nihonsakari proven that they can make quality Sake, but their willingness to continuously change with the times is truly impressive!

Just by taking a look at their original name, the Nishinomiya Kigyo Company, what might initially seem fairly ordinary is actually something quite pioneering - it was the first ever Sake company in Japan. Most Sake breweries being family-owned typically operate as a private partnership based business, and yet Nihonsakari was fairly modern in its embracing of new ways of doing traditional things. And as such five young entrepreneurs had taken investment in order to start the Sake brewery, that was even though the company was effectively helmed by the Morimoto family since its establishment and till this day is headed up by an adopted son of the Morimoto family.

The Sake brewer was quick to hit the ground running, and it proved indeed true that the five young entrepreneurs' belief that Sake brewing could be modernised with higher productivity - by 1910, Nihonsakari had become the largest Sake brewer in Japan, and would continue to grow until at its peak in the late 1970's the brewery would hold a whopping 5% share of the Sake market in Japan! Yet as hinted at earlier, what was perhaps most impressive about Nihonsakari, and sent shockwaves to the Japan's Sake brewing scene, was that despite the company's modernisation efforts and large production, they were still able to balance the ability to produce high quality Sakes! Testament to that was when the Emperor Taisho was to be enthroned in 1913, Nihonsakari had been selected to be served during the hugely important ceremony, and has since continued on as the official Sake of the Japanese Imperial Household!

Nihonsakari's Souhana continues to be served at the Japanese Imperial Household.

With a combination of access to amongst the best Sakemai (Sake brewing rice), Toji's from well-established guilds and some of the highest quality Miyamizu water, Nihonsakari has certainly had the Midas touch when it came to Sake making.

Over the next decades, Nihonsakari would continue to demonstrate streaks of innovation regardless of the ups and downs of Japan's Sake market. Notably Nihonsakari would produce several lines of cosmetics that incorporated various Sake ingredients, such as producing a rice brand cleanser, and would also promote health foods that showcased the health benefits of Sake ingredients. In one story told by the brewery, it was in fact a salesman working in the brewery who first came proposed the idea of producing a cosmetics line, having noticed his grandmother using it as soap. This idea was initially dismissed but did catch the attention of a female staff who was particularly fascinated with using Sake ingredients for a rice bran face cleanser that she thought could resolve her own skin problems. When test runs with the trial product succeeded, she was able to eventually get the brewery to buy into the idea. Today the brewery's cosmetics line Komenuka Bijin has become one of its biggest sources of revenue.

Komenuka Bijin Rice Bran Cleanser is one of the brewery's most popular cosmetic products.

Nevertheless despite producing a fairly wide range of products made with Sake ingredients, the brewery has always remained firm on its core work of Sake making, and to that end has constantly experimented with different formats of presenting its Sakes, producing Sakes of different flavour profiles that could cater to different customers, and placing and distributing their Sakes in different locations to catch customer attention.

And so today, very excitingly we have Nihonsakari's newest canned RTD Nama Genshu's! These are a Honjozo and a Junmai Daiginjo that's bottled without pasteurisation and at a higher alcoholic strength undiluted, and yet has used new technology to remove enzymes so that these cans can be stored at room temperature and still remain shelf stable.

PS. These are now available in Singapore via Inter Rice Asia! We were able to try them during Singapore's Sake Matsuri which happens twice a year and is a great event that allows ticket holders to try a wide array of Sakes from various distributors! A definite must go for anyone who's into Sake or curious about it!

Let's give them both a go!

Sake Review: Nihonsakari Canned RTD Honjozo Nama Genshu | 日本盛 生原酒 本醸造酒

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light White Wine

Aroma: It's rather savoury with wafts of grilled meat, along with a side of ripened honeydew melons. They come together nicely to give a combination of grilled meats and sweet tropical fruits, a good balance of the two. It also has a good richness to it, and a very aromatic savouriness. 

Taste: Really nice lifted and light yet rich flavours of ripen melons, with some yogurts coming in as well. It's rounded off with lots of that savouriness of grilled meats. It's really concentrated and bold in flavour, yet it doesn't feel heavy or overly dense. It leans brighter and more airy, yet has a richness to it. Really intense in those sweet and savoury flavours here.

Finish: A hit of pepperiness here, almost like a black pepper teriyaki glaze, topped on some more of those sweet ripened melons. The savoury sweetness here continues to grow into the finish.

My Thoughts 

This was really tasty, with this more pronounced savouriness of grilled meats and sweet melons that felt almost photorealistic of an izakaya meal. It also sports great richness, with a very concentrated and bold flavour that really punches above its weight. Yet despite its richness and concentration, its body isn't heavy or cloying, instead it has this lifted and airy quality that makes it ridiculously easy to drink and really approachable. This would go perfect with a BBQ or a meal with grilled meats. Very impressive!

Sake Review: Nihonsakari Canned RTD Junmai Daiginjo Nama Genshu | 日本盛 生原酒 純米大吟醸酒

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Light Tint

Aroma: Really good richness here with a big yogurt-y scent, gently lactic, with also this backbone of minerality of rain water and river stones. It's heady and thick in its aromas, and at the same time feels incredibly pure and almost like a natural spring or river running through a forest.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it's again more lifted and brighter, with a soft creaminess of yogurt and sweet milk. More on ripened melon juices, along with a little bit of pepper. A very enjoyable silky, creamy richness of the body.

Finish: The richness persists, evoking a deep warmth. More of that concentrated milky sweetness, almost that of evaporated milk, along with a contrasting savouriness of grilled meats. Into the finish more of the ripened melon lingers.

My Thoughts 

This had a really lovely richness with bolder flavours, which also came across really balanced and complete - you've got the sweet, milky richness along with the light savouriness or pure minerality that always serves as a counterpoint. The flavours and scents are also incredibly evocative and detailed, almost reminiscent of walking by a river stream or sitting by the side of an izakaya grill. Really tasty, yet more lifted and brighter, without getting too heavy or cloying. This would be great for a picnic or a hot summers day.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot